Maria Carrillo starting pitcher Alec Rennard had a simple game plan for Wednesday’s home game against hard-hitting

Maria Carrillo’s Will Hoge dives for the ball for the out during Wednesday’s game at Maria Carrillo. (CRISTA JEREMIASON/ PD)

Sonoma Valley.

“If I threw strikes, I knew the defense would make the plays behind me,” the senior said.

Rennard made good on his end by throwing 57 strikes in seven innings and the defense did its part by playing error-free ball.

The result was a 3-1 victory over a Sonoma Valley squad that came into the game with a team batting average of .335.

Throwing only two pitches (fastball and curve), Rennard allowed four hits and struck out seven.

His offense came through in the fourth inning by scoring twice to take a 3-1 lead.

Keith Wallach got things started with a single to center.

He came around to score on Jake Scheiner’s double. Scheiner would score later in the inning on Peter Hoge’s sacrifice fly to right field.

Scheiner hit into a double play in the first inning but learned something in that at-bat.

“The Sonoma pitcher (Devon Graff) had a pattern,” the shortstop said.

“He’d alternate throwing a fastball and a curveball. I watched a couple of pitches in my second at-bat and when it came time for the curve, I was ready.

“I sat back and waited and then hit it hard.”

Those two runs were enough of a cushion for Rennard. He got stronger as the game progressed and retired the side in order in the last two innings.

The defensive play of the game came in the sixth when center fielder Clayton Andrews laid out to catch Jaxson Strong’s liner for the first out of the inning. Rennard then struck out Jonah Son and Dan Deely.

The Pumas’ record improved to 5-1, even though they’ve scored three runs or fewer in all but one game.

PDPreps: VIDEO REPORTS

The Elsie Allen High School football team has not won a game since September 2013. After a rough spring which saw a newly hired coach resign, new coach Bill Wight is hoping to inspire the Lobos to more winning ways.

Reporting scores to The PD

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